I used to run, play tennis, bicycle, or play racquetball, every day. As I’ve aged, those more strenuous activities have faded away until these last few years I’m just making sure I walk a few miles every day. Walking still works.
But something happened. Since my heart surgery I’ve felt a little more energetic. Having resumed my habit of walking several miles a day, I noticed that sometimes I even feel a little bit like running. So I did. I ran. A little. Running felt good, but I hit the wall at the limit of my endurance; that endurance limit being three minutes. After that, I’d find myself walking again.
I was running, slowly, though and it felt good, so I’ve been doing it more. Over time, I’ve broken through the three-minute, two-tenths of a mile barrier. Recently I ran a full fifteen minutes and covered a full mile. It’s not quite like the old days, the mind doesn’t wander and miles don’t melt away like they used to on a good day, but I’m loving it and I’ll take what I can get!
I need a new word to describe what I’m doing though. Cruising along, I’m thinking this is not a run, it’s not that fast, but it’s not a walk either. There has to be a name for something in-between. Maybe it’s a jog, but that word doesn’t sound quite right either. This doesn’t feel quite that energetic. I wonder if someone watching me go by thinks: “Wow. Look how slow he’s going” or do they think “Good for him. Look how old he is and he’s still running.” OMG. My mind just wandered! The rhythm of this really is coming back!
It’s all about pace. If I run at what used to be my normal speed, I run out of wind and wind up walking. If I can hold myself consciously slow, slower than I want to go, the run continues. If I just walk, I’ll never get any faster. If I run slowly, maybe in time I’ll respond to the conditioning and the pace will pick up. Wait a minute. I’ve wandered off again!
My heart is fine. All it needed was some new plumbing. We love this heart rebuild!
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